What is it?
The Northwest Vegetable Farmer to Farmer Exchange (F2FX) is a gathering of seasoned, Organic minded, commercial vegetable growers that first met in the winter of 2003 at Breitenbush Hot Springs near Detroit, Oregon. The underlying concept was to have a conference where the “experts” were all of the attendees, with no formal, prepared workshops just facilitated discussions mimicking the kinds of conversations experienced growers would have between sessions at other conferences. The initial gathering was so successful that it ran annually for 18 years through 2020. In the fall of 2020 fires burned most of Breitenbush and the F2FX group has been patiently waiting to come back as the Breitenbush community has been rebuilding capacity. For many years the F2FX group has stayed in contact between the in person gatherings through an email discussion list which is open only to people who have attended the in person gathering. Both the in person gathering and the email discussion list are considered by many growers in the group one of their best resources for good ideas, information, inspiration and support.
When is it?
February 9-11, 2026
Typically the gathering happens the second Monday through Wednesday of February and this edition will be no different. The event gathering starts on Monday evening with participants arriving after 3pm. Check out is at 2pm on Wednesday, following lunch.
Who should come?
Organic minded commercial vegetable growers with multiple years of experience running a farm in the Pacific Northwest are the primary participants. There is no age limit on this, and this includes retired and semi-retired growers with significant experience. Participants should be comfortable sharing their experiences with the group, and should be open to hearing what others have to share.
A handful of spots will be available to growers from other regions with the intention of diversifying perspectives and seeding similar exchanges in areas that don’t currently have one.
There will also be a handful of spots available to experienced professionals who work with growers who can attend primarily as observers. In the past this has included Extension and research professionals, and representatives from support and industry organizations like Oregon Tilth and OGC. Attendance by folks from this category gives them excellent insight into issues facing growers and has spawned multiple successful projects outside of the gathering in the past.
Family members of farmer participants (e.g. partners, children and childrens’ care takers) are also welcome to join us.
Note that there is an upper lodging limit of about 100 people, and the meeting space is comfortable at slightly under that number. Please let us know if you want to bring multiple people from the same farm. We would like to keep perspectives and experiences diverse (within the definitions above) and have as many farms represented as possible so depending on demand we may end up limiting the number of participants from each farm. In general a good number is from 1-4, with 1-2 being typical, but there have been farms who have brought more in the past.
Where is it?
We will be returning to Breitenbush Hot Springs in 2026. There is a main lodge with the main meeting space and dining room. There are multiple natural and built hot spring tubs to soak in, relax and continue conversations for those who enjoy such things (clothing is optional in the tubs, swimsuits are totally acceptable but not the norm). There is no reliable cell service and the facility is off grid generating their own electricity and filtering their own water (if you have a chance to do the facility tour it is highly recommended). Check their website for more information on the facilities. https://breitenbush.com/experience
How much does it cost?
The price per person is $214. This covers the event, lodging Monday and Tuesday nights, and meals from Monday dinner through Wednesday lunch. This is a generously subsidized rate made possible by support from sponsors (including the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program and Oregon Tilth).
There is an additional cost if you would like Breitenbush to supply bed linens (approximately $30-40 depending on lodging specifics) and towels.
If you would like to attend but don’t feel you can afford $214 for the event there will be some financial assistance available thanks to generous donors. If you would like to help reduce the cost for others and contribute to a financial assistance fund, please let us know.
Lodging options
Rooms are small and simple and primarily for sleeping but also typically include a small desk. Restrooms and showers are private and in a common bathhouse near the rooms. You can get a sense of the rooms available on Breitenbush’s website. If you have a specific preference you should note it when registering and we will try to accommodate.
Below are the bed configurations for rooms:
· 1 Queen bed
· 2 Queen beds
· 3 Queen beds
· Full bed + twin bed
· Full bed + twin bunk bed
· Full bed
· Twin bed
· Twin bunk bed
Food
All food is served in the dining room. It is vegetarian with vegan and gluten free options by request.
Registering
If you would like to attend the 2026 gathering please fill out this form. We will review all applications and get back to you with confirmation within a few weeks.
Health and Safety
Conferences, where many people travel to be together, carry the risk of infections being spread. This was the case before COVID-19, and it continues to be the case. There are still individuals at high risk and individuals who live and/or care for people at high risk. Most of us would still rather not get sick so please help us keep each other safe at this delightful event with the following suggested practices:
Arrive in good health. If you have symptoms of a virus or infection, or have been recently exposed to someone with a potent infection, show respect for your fellow farmers by staying home and sitting this one out.
Give physical space to anyone who asks for it. Be supportive of friends by accommodating those who ask for an elbow bump rather than a hug, or who prefer to mask.
Practice good hygiene. This one should be familiar for growers of fresh food as we all have to be careful while handling food for others. Wash your hands often, particularly following blowing your nose, touching your face, or eating, and before entering the buffet line, etc. Practice the food-safety sneeze or cough (turning away from the group and sneezing into the shoulder).
With the good conversations and relaxing waters it’s often easy to spend too much time soaking in the hot tubs or sauna. Paying attention to rehydrating and rinsing off in cold, clean water after being in the tubs will help reduce your likelihood of illness.
Together we can help each other feel comfortable attending and go home with only happy memories. Thank you for your consideration.
History
More on this coming in the future…
Why is this listed on the Slow Hand Farm Website?
For 2026, Josh Volk of Slow Hand Farm is taking the lead on organizing the event for the first time. The event was founded and run for many years by Suzy and Robelee of Foundhorn Gardens. When they retired they passed the organization on to Chris and Shannon from Winter Green Farm who ran it for several years before the fires put the event on hold.
The event has never had a web presence before and this page is the first time details and registration have been more than just word of mouth – though it’s still a bit that way as you probably found the page through word of mouth? Maybe in the future the event will have its own website but for now this was the simplest thing to do. The event runs on a shoestring and volunteer time, keeping the attendance fee as low as possible, even below cost with donations. The payoff is in the community it builds and the information and experience shared.